Monarchs of minstrelsy, from "Daddy" Rice to dateRice, Edw. Le Roy (Edward Le Roy)
History
Monarchs of minstrelsy, from "Daddy" Rice to date
Rice, Edw. Le Roy (Edward Le Roy)
Actors -- United States; Minstrel shows
BURTON STANLEY was famous for his female impersonations. In 1875 he
was with Haverly’s Minstrels; September 2, 1879, he joined a dramatic
organization in “Larks,” and a few months later was traveling with
Stanley’s Juvenile Company. August 24, 1881, he opened with Brooks,
Dickson and Clapham’s Minstrels; the tour was a brief one and in
November following, Mr. Stanley joined Leavitt’s Minstrels. His next
important engagement was with Emerson’s Minstrels in San Francisco;
here he met Gus Pixley, later forming an alliance, playing the variety
houses for several seasons. Mr. Stanley retired from the profession
some years ago, and is now a prosperous boniface in the West.
HARRY (Jas. H.) ARMSTRONG or “Handsome Harry” (see portrait) as he was
known, began his professional career about forty years ago, and only a
short time later launched Armstrong’s Constellation Variety Troupe and
Female Minstrels.
[Illustration:
W. W. BLACK
CHAS. T. WHITE
JOHN J. BLUE
BILLY GRAY
JOE. BROWN
JNO. E. GREEN
HOW’S THIS FOR A COLOR SCHEME?]
In 1874 he was with Harry Robinson’s Minstrels and the following year
with one of Leavitt’s attractions.
In the fall of 1879 he joined the Big Four Minstrels, and in 1881
became a member of Leavitt’s Minstrels. 1882 saw him with Courtright
and Hawkin’s Minstrels in Philadelphia, and the following season he was
with Haverly’s Minstrels.
Mr. Armstrong joined Sweatnam, Rice and Fagan’s Minstrels in 1887 for
the season; in 1892 he was again with Haverly at the latter’s permanent
home of minstrelsy in Chicago; at this house he did acts with Harry
Constantine, the female impersonator.
Harry Armstrong was born at Wilmington, Del., April 3, 1850.
HARRY SHIRLEY, a well-known singer, who was with Emerson’s Minstrels
in San Francisco in 1881, also other prominent companies, died in Los
Angeles, Cal., September 22, 1889.
OTIS BOWERS, of the old minstrel firm of “Beach and Bowers” Minstrels,
when last heard of was a contented resident of Maquoketa, Iowa.
After six months of constant practice, the author is able to spell and
pronounce properly the name of the thriving little town in the state
that produced Bert Leslie.
HARRY SHAY (Shea) was a well known and capable black-face comedian and
general performer. He had been associated with many of the prominent
variety theatres as stock comedian, and was especially a favorite in
Paterson, N. J., where he died, November 4, 1886.
HURLEY AND MARR, famous for many years in their black-face songs and
dances, formed a partnership about 1869; they appeared with Hooley’s
Minstrels in Brooklyn, N. Y., in December of that year.
Subsequently they played successful engagements with Hooley in Chicago
in the Fall of 1872, leaving Hooley to join Arlington, Cotton and
Kemble’s Minstrels, in the same city.
They also appeared with Bryant’s in New York, and Simmons and Slocum in
Philadelphia.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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